"It's my dooty," said the sentry, placing the butt of his musket on the ground, and leaning his elbow on the muzzle. "You see that what you said, Tongs, was very true, about its being hard upon me to be carrying about this here damnable weppin" (slapping the barrel of the musket) "all day for fourpence ha'penny, while you are making your fortin. It is, Tongs, d—d hard."
"Never mind; there'll be plenty left to-morrow," said Bags in a consolatory tone.
"What shall we say, now, if I lets ye hide it?" said Bill, pointing to the bundle. "Half-shares?"
"This ain't like a friend, Bill," returned Tongs, highly disgusted with this ungenerous proposal. "Nobody ever knowed me interfere with a comrade when I was on sentry. How long ago is it since I let ye stay in my box an hour, till ye was sober enough to walk into barracks, when I was sentry at the gate? Why, the whole bundle ain't worth eighteenpence—and I've worked hard for it."
"Half-shares?" reiterated Bill, not melted in the least by the memory of ancient benefits.
"No, by G—!" said Bags in great wrath.
"Serg——," began Bill in an elevated voice, porting his arms at the same time.
"Stop!" said Bags; "don't call the sergeant. Half is better nor nothing, if ye're going to behave like that. We'll say half, then."
"Ah," said Bill, returning to his former position—"I thought we should agree. And now let's see 'em, Tongs."